Christmas, Halloween, Mardi Gras & Other Holiday Party Invitations It seems as though holiday cards have been around as long as the holidays have. History tells us a different story. You may be surprised to know that holiday cards, specifically Christmas cards, first appeared in London in 1843. The very first Christmas cards were requested by Sir Henry Cole that year, and sold for a shilling. Several decades later, Louis Prang offered the first Christmas cards to Americans. It was not too long after, that Christmas cards began to be mass-produced.